Abstract

The ubiquitous capability of smartphones and their rapid uptake among music festival attendees indicates the potential for mobile applications as a tool within this environment. As a result, many organisers are choosing to develop festival specific apps designed to enhance the user experience. Based on a review of festival apps and focus groups with festival attendees, this article analyses the role of mobile apps in relation to festival consumer experiential needs. Analysis indicates a need for more consumer focused app interfaces that pay close attention to the event anticipation experience, scheduling capabilities before and during the festival and personalisation options to enhance ‘presence’. At a practical level, mobile charging facilities are vital at festivals to enable app use.